Hospital sterilizer



E. E. TURNER HOSPITAL STERILIZER Feb. 15, 1944.

Filed March 5, 1943 .willlllllII/l/i Patented Feb. 15, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE," HOSPITiiiiZLILIZER Application March 5, 1943, Serial'No. 478,086

, In Canada December 22, 1941.

2 Claims.

My invention relates to hospitalsterilizers for the sterilization of such things as catheters and particularly nipples, and surgical rubber goods generally, an object of the invention being to provide a device of the character herewithin' described by the use of which the articles being sterilized will be less likely to get burned should the water in the surrounding Vessel, boil away.

A further object of my invention is to provide, in a device of the character herewithin described, means for maintaining the articles being sterilized in a state of total submergence beneath the surface of the boiling water.

A further object of my invention is to provide, a device of the character herewithin described, which includes positive means for lifting the lid or cover thereof from a point adjacent the handle of the device when a batch of articles has been sufficiently sterilized.

A further object of my invention is to provide, a device of the character herewithin described which is eminently practical for institutions, simple and economical to manufacture, and which cannot readily become out of order.

With the above more important objects in View and such other minor objects as may appear as the specification proceeds, my invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my hospital sterilizer. I

Figure 2 is a plan view of my hospital sterilizer.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional detail of my cover lifting mechanism.

Figure 4 is a detail illustrating an alternative form of cover lifting-structure.

In the drawing like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

In hospitals, surgical rubber articles are frequently rendered useless owing to the water in which they have been sterilized boiling away, leaving the articles to burn upon the dry surface of the vessel. This is particularly the case in infants hospital wards where large batches of nipples are frequently rendered useless in this way, the manifold duties of the nurse in charge being such that she cannot rescue the nipples in time.

My invention is therefore designed to prevent surgical rubber goods from coming to rest upon the dry base of a vessel if all the water therein should boil away, so that a substantial further period of time is allowed before a batch of arti cles commences to deteriorate.

A preferred construction of my hospital sterilizer as shown in the accompanying drawing comprises the supporting structure A, consisting of the four legs I, each of which comprises the vertical portion 2 and the horizontal inwardly directed portion 3, the several portions 3 converging inwardly towards the central vertical axis of a perforated container 4 which will preferably be manufactured of wire mesh.

The wire mesh is secured around the edge thereof to a ring 5 to which the upper ends of the legs are also secured. A handle 6 is formed integral with the material from which the ring 5 is made, the handle being angulated and consisting of the substantally vertical portion I and the inclining upper portion 8. By reference particularly to the accompanying Figure 2, it will be seen that my handle is reverse-angulated so that it is formed of two, spaced pieces-of wire 9 and I0.

The lid or cover I l is hinged as at [2 to the root or base of my handle 6, a clip l3 being provided to keep the cover down when a batch of rubber articles is being sterilized. The cover is also formed of wire-mesh secured to a surrounding ring M, an extension l5 of the form best illustrated in the accompanying Figure 2, being provided to facilitate the lifting of the lid.

The extension IS in the form of a wire yoke projects horizontally below the inclining portion 8 of my handle and upon the opposite side of the hinged wall to that from which the cover projects. A link I 5 is secured to the extension l5 by means of the eye I! at the lower end thereof, the link extending vertically, parallel with the portion 1 of my handle and between the portions 9 and I0 thereof to terminate in a finger piece l8. The link I6 is held centred by the spanning piece l9 through which it extends.

In the accompanying Figure 4, I have shown a simpler form of extension 20 which eliminates the necessity for soldering. With this arrangement, the material from which the cover ring 14 is formed, is simply angled at the juncture as thereof. The link I6 is coupled to the extension shown and provided with an eye 2| at the end 20 by means of the eye 22.

Since various modifications can be made in my invention as hereinabove described and many apparently widely difierent embodiments of same made within the scope of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense and I desire only such limitations placed thereon a are specifically expressed in the accompanying claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A hospital sterilizer comprising in combination, a perforated container, a hinged cover for said container to prevent surgical rubber goods 10 and particularly rubber nipples within the container from rising to the surface of the water in which the sterilizer is immersed, an angulated handle attached to the container, the lower part of said handle being substantially vertical and means for lifting said cover consisting of an extension adjacent the hinge attachingsaid cover to said container, said extension projecting from the opposite side of said hinge to that from which said cover projects, and a substantially vertical link, terminating at the upper end thereof in a finger piece.

2. A hospital sterilizer comprising a wire supporting structure, a perforated container, a hinged cover, an angulated handle and means for lifting said cover, said supporting structure consisting of a ring to which said container is secured and legs, each of said legs being right-angled and-consisting-of a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, the horizontal portions of the legs converging towards the central vertical axis of .the container, said handle being formed of reverse-angulated Wire and with the lower part thereof substantially vertical, and lifting means comprising-an extension adjacent said hinge and secured to said cover, said extension projecting below the upper part of said handle and a link extending upwardly through said handle and terminating in a finger piece.

EVELYN E. TURNER. 

